Will Darline Graham face the same fate Pamela Evette did in South Carolina?
Politics — 2026-08-09 10:00:00 — www.politico.com
South Carolina Senate Primary Puts Trump’s Endorsement Power to the Test
As South Carolina Republicans prepare for a high-stakes special election Senate primary, the influence of President Donald Trump is once again under scrutiny. Darline Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, leads a crowded field with Trump’s endorsement, but faces a challenging path to consolidating support and avoiding a runoff.
Trump’s involvement in the race has so far followed a familiar pattern: a handful of Truth Social posts backing Graham and a last-minute tele-rally. Beyond these standard moves, Trump has not publicly indicated any additional efforts to boost his preferred candidate. This limited engagement echoes his approach in the recent governor’s primary, where his endorsement of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was not enough to secure her victory. Evette, reflecting on her loss, acknowledged she wished Trump had done more to support her campaign.
The upcoming primary is widely seen as a test of whether Trump’s endorsement alone can propel a candidate to victory in a competitive Republican field. The outcome will also reveal how far Trump is willing to go to ensure his picks succeed, especially when their path to nomination is uncertain.
Both Darline Graham and her main rivals, Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, have ties to Trump, with Fry in particular having caught the president’s interest. Trump described Fry as “outstanding” and a “very talented person” in a recent Newsmax interview following Lindsey Graham’s death. The possibility of Trump issuing a “double endorsement” in a runoff, as he did in the governor’s race, remains on the table.
Despite the prominence of Trump’s endorsement in campaign advertising—described by Graham’s team as “the gold standard in Republican politics”—strategists caution that an endorsement “opens a door, it doesn’t walk through it for you.” Graham is working to distinguish herself from both her late brother’s legacy and her competitors, emphasizing domestic issues and her support for Trump’s legislative priorities, such as the SAVE America Act.
The race remains unpredictable, with recent polling showing Graham trailing both Fry and Norman in a straw poll. As the field narrows and the likelihood of a runoff increases, the effectiveness of Trump’s backing will be closely watched—not only in South Carolina, but as a broader measure of his ongoing sway within the Republican Party.
In summary, the South Carolina Senate primary is shaping up as a critical test of Trump’s endorsement power. While his support remains a coveted asset, the outcome will determine whether his influence is enough to secure victory for his chosen candidates in today’s volatile political landscape.
Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/09/south-carolina-senate-darline-graham-trump-01029927